Overview & Reviews

Toyota is a Japanese brand whose refined, well-designed vehicles have earned it a great deal of popularity. Toyotas also have a superb record for reliability and durability, which goes a long way toward justifying their typically high purchase prices. For buyers who plan on owning their new vehicles for a long time, the Toyota marque is a very compelling choice.

The automaker's name is a variation of the surname of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. After years of research, Toyoda unveiled his first prototype, the A1, in 1935, marking the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The '40s witnessed the launch of additional passenger cars and even a pickup. By the end of the decade, the automaker had produced more than 100,000 vehicles.

Toyota grew bigger in the '50s and expanded its roster with a slew of new small cars. The company also unveiled the utilitarian BJ truck; this vehicle was the precursor to the Land Cruiser. By the end of the decade, Toyota had commenced exports to the U.S. with the establishment of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. The first Toyota to be sold on American shores was the Crown; it held the distinction of being the first Japanese car to be sold Stateside.

The '60s witnessed even more growth for the emerging juggernaut. Toyota introduced the Corolla, an immensely popular model that is still in production today. Vehicles like the home-market Publica, the 2000GT, Hiace and Miniace were also launched. The decade closed with Toyota reporting annual domestic sales of 1 million units; cumulative exports also reached 1 million.

Japanese-market cars like the Carina, Light Ace and Publica Starlet were launched during the 1970s. In the States, the Corolla grew in popularity and the Corona and Mk II models debuted as well. The successful Celica sports coupe was also rolled out and would remain in production for more than 30 years. Toyota's shadow had spread far beyond Japan by this point. The decade's oil crisis had made the manufacturer's compact, fuel-efficient models more popular than ever in the United States. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker had exported more than 10 million vehicles.

Toyota expanded its presence in the U.S. market during the '80s, with the introduction of popular models like the 4Runner SUV and the MR2 sports car. The true high point of these years, though, was the birth of the Toyota Camry sedan. Originally known as the Celica Camry in Japan, the car went on to be a hit of phenomenal proportions, earning kudos as America's best-selling car of the year time and time again.

During the '90s, Toyota rolled out the Avalon full-size sedan and expanded its selection of SUVs with the compact RAV4. By the end of the decade, more than 100 million Toyota vehicles had been produced in Japan. The company also proved itself on the cutting edge of new technology with the rollout of the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid. The car debuted in Japan in 1997; by 2001, the fuel-sipping sedan had made its way to American highways. Despite the presence of a growing number of competitors in its segment, the Prius continues to boast class-leading sales.

Toyota's current lineup is relatively extensive, including minivans, cars, trucks and SUVs. The brand remains extremely popular among savvy consumers who place a high value on quality and dependability.

User Reviews:

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  Work Horse in Style - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Travelmeister - July 21 - 11:01 am

  From a mans point of view, I wanted to have only one new vehicle for both intown and cross country travel. This 2017 Highlander LXE replaced a 2009 Highlander AWD Sport with 200K on it that only had one part (less than $400) replaced. Obviously that vehicle was passed down in the family. We pull a 4300 pound travel trailer and with wind and elevation gain the 09 got around 9 to 10mpg at 70mph. With no bike rack or trailer, it averaged 23-24mpg on the highway. The 2017 gets around 15mpg pulling the trailer and pulls much easier with the additional HP and speeds. My wife enjoys all the safety features, GPS and phone system. We have had the vehicle for only 1 month so can not comment on reliability,

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  Excellent Investment - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By Airedale - July 21 - 10:00 am

  Totally satisfied with power, ride, and comfort. Goes over bumps and railroad tracks smoother than my previous larger car. Excellent visibility all around and more space than needed.

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  Awesome Little Spunky Car - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By kievyn - July 21 - 10:00 am

  Must have for the small budgeted individual. Has style, spirit. A great little "puudle-skipper!"

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  So Far so good - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By killa21 - July 21 - 10:00 am

  I have had it for a year now and I am completely satisfied I invested in such a truck because I havent had any problems so far and I put around 30,000 miles a yr on it so far and its still like new...!!!

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  Unpleasantly surprised !! - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Catssu - July 21 - 10:00 am

  This my third Toyota. I am terribly disappointed with this particular car. I brought this car in for repair more than a half-dozen times. It left me stranded by stalling out, and something is herently wrong with the way it rides. The first was *finally taken care of when they figured out the computer was bad. I was actually looking at Lemon Law! The second problem we thought was the tires. After countless tire alignments and balance, the dealership replaced the tires and changed the bent rim. While these corrections helped initially, the problem ride persists and they have chalked it up to the road. Im trading this car in soon.

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  Poor Mans MINI Cooper - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By JAMINOFF - July 21 - 10:00 am

  Matrix is like my sone MINI cooper for $10000 less. Great car, quality, reliability, fun and roomy. Only changes I recommend would be remove coin slot under handbrake, very hard to get to. Left side instruments have no lighting at night.

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  First New Car - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By FirstNewCar - July 21 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my first new car a few weeks ago and I am SO GLAD I chose a Highlander! You cant beat the smooth ride and easy handling of this vehicle. I highly recommend anyone looking at SUVs to take a look at the Highlander. Youll be glad you did!

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  This is offroad vehicle - 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By boris rabinovich - July 21 - 1:13 am

  This vehicle is built strictly for off-road application. Dont buy it for the city use or for home-office commute. To park this car in the city is impossible task and this is not because of physical dimensions. It has too many blind spots, you always concern you might hit somebody. The backseat is not adjustable and people on the back have very little space. Besides the backseat passengers might got trapped in case of accident with no way out. You will not be able to open door if the people in the front got disable.

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  A Great gas saver - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Bill - July 20 - 5:16 pm

  Just after purchase I decided to take a long summer car camping trip from DC through the Rockies (NM to MT), then over to the Sierras and down to LA, then back to DC. 13,000 miles in 7 weeks. Though the Prius isnt optimized for long highway trips, it did very well. 65 mph on cruise yielded 50-52 mpg, 70-75 mph yielded 46- 49 mpg. Hills and mountains hurt mileage. My worst tank was 44 mpg when I had many long steady climbs but the car had more than enough power to climb Slumgullion Pass in Colorado (11,900 feet) without struggling. The steering is a little numb. The car handles okay in curves but isnt agile. Very stable and little affected by wind. Hatchback takes tons of gear easily.

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  Our second SE V6 - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Oly - July 20 - 3:40 pm

  We found a lot of value in our 04 SE V6 so when we shopped a new car we looked for the same platform in a 2009. So far we are very pleased with the upgrades and the same solid performance and value we expected from the SE V6. It sits lower despite the bigger wheels and has a quieter and more "planted" ride than the older model. The brakes are excellent and the engine power is enhanced by the upgraded 6 speed transmission.